Gun Control Unit with Computerized Multi-Function Display

ABSTRACT

An improved gun control unit for a minigun system includes a logic control module in communication with the minigun system, and a multi-function display for providing a visible display of information about the operation and status of the minigun system. The logic control module includes a processor coupled to the multi-function display, which processor is programmed to output a display signal to the display in response to status information received from the minigun system. The status information received from the minigun system can include: information for determining a count of rounds fired by the minigun system; information for determining a remaining level of ammunition: and/or information for trouble shooting the minigun system.

RELATED APPLICATION AND PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/915,925, filed Dec. 13, 2013, entitled “Gun Control Unit with Computerized Multi-Function Display” which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates generally to Gatling-type miniguns. More specifically, it relates to an improved gun control unit or fire control unit for an electrically powered minigun, which includes a computerized ammunition level indicator and rounds counter.

Gatling-type miniguns have been known for many years. One previous example of such a gun is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,971,515 B2, entitled “Access Door for Feeder and Delinker of a Gatling Gun.” which is incorporated herein by this reference.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved gun control unit for such a minigun with a computerized display unit that can display to a user (such as a gunner or maintenance personnel) the level of ammunition for the minigun as well as other information about the minigun.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

SUMMARY

To achieve the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the invention as embodied and broadly described in this document, there is provided an improved gun control unit for a minigun system. The gun control unit includes: a logic control module in communication with the minigun system: and a multi-function display for providing a visible display of information from the minigun system. The logic control module includes a processor coupled to the multi-function display. The logic control module is programmed to provide a display signal to the multi-function display in response to status information received from the minigun system. In one embodiment, the multi-function display can include an LED display configured in the form of a bar graph. The gun control unit can include an interface to allow uploading of software to the logic control module.

The status information received from the minigun system can include information for determining a count of rounds fired by the minigun system, which can include information for determining a cumulative count of rounds. The status information cal also include information for determining a remaining level of ammunition, and/or information for trouble shooting the minigun system.

The logic control module can be configured to calculate a remaining ammunition level using information associated with an ammunition maximum capacity and a count of rounds fired by the minigun system. In response to a user input switch selection, the logic control module can be configured to operate with a specific minigun model or configuration. The user input switch selection can include a selection for configuring a maximum ammunition capacity and/or a selection for configuring a firing rate. The logic control module also can be programmed to monitor the status information to detect an error or malfunction in the operation of the minigun system. The logic control module also can be programmed to perform a diagnostic test on the minigun system in response to a user input switch selection for diagnostic testing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings and appendices, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1A is a top perspective view showing a side of an embodiment of an electrically-powered minigun with a gun control unit according to the present invention mounted to it.

FIG. 1B is a top perspective view showing the other side of the minigun of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 shows a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a gun control unit according to the present invention, including a spade grip to which the gun control unit is mounted.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a gun control unit according to the present invention, showing the inputs and outputs of the gun control unit and the logic control module, motor control module and multi-function display of the unit.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are a hardware schematic diagram showing more detail of the gun control unit connections to a minigun and to the input switches.

FIG. 5 is a left side elevation view of the gun control unit and spade grip of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the gun control unit and spade grip of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a right side elevation view of the gun control unit and spade grip of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the gun control unit and spade grip of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a 7.62×51 mm minigun system, referred to generally by callout number 10, which is suitable for use with the present invention. The minigun 10 includes a barrel assembly 12, an electric drive motor 14 to rotate the barrel assembly 12, a delinking feeder 16, a clutch assembly 18 and a gun housing assembly 20. The barrel assembly 12 includes a barrel clamp assembly 25, a plurality of barrels 24 circumferentially mounted to the barrel clamp assembly 25, and a flash suppressor 26. As is known to those of skill in the art, ammunition is fired sequentially through the barrels 24 of the minigun 10 in a known fashion, i.e., first one barrel is used, then the next, then the next, etc.

Still referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a gun control unit 220 is mounted to a spade grip 230, which is mounted to the minigun 10. An electric cable supplies power from the gun control unit 22 to the drive motor 14. The delinking feeder 16, which is an ammunition feed device, is engaged and disengaged via the electric cable. To provide access to the interior of the delinking feeder 16, a feeder door assembly is mounted on the delinking feeder 16. The feeder door assembly includes an access door that is movable between a first closed operative position and a second open position to facilitate the loading of an ammunition belt of linked cartridges (not shown).

In the operation of the minigun 10, the drive motor 14 causes the barrel assembly 12 to rotate, and each barrel 24 fires sequentially in rapid succession. During such operation, the delinking feeder 16 receives the ammunition belt of linked cartridges, sequentially separates or “delinks” the cartridges from the ammunition belt, and feeds the cartridges to the minigun firing mechanism (not shown).

According to the present invention, there is provided an improved gun control unit 220 with a computerized multi-function display. FIGS. 2 and 5-8 illustrate one exemplary embodiment of the improved gun control unit 220, which is mounted to an improved spade grip 230. The spade grip 230 mounts directly to a receiver (not shown) on the minigun 10, such as the US Army M134 four-lug receiver.

The gun control unit 220 is powered by a 28 VDC power supply 48 (see FIG. 4A). The gun control unit 220 has various user input switches, including an arming switch 30, two trigger switches or buttons 32, an ammunition switch 34, an ammunition boost switch or button 36, and an ammunition can select switch 38. When the arming switch 30 on the gun control unit 220 is activated, and one or both trigger buttons 32 are depressed, the minigun 10 will fire. When the trigger buttons 32 are released, the delinking feeder 16 is disengaged so that the ammunition supply is discontinued. The electric drive motor 14 continues to rotate for a suitable period of time (e.g., from about 200 to 500 milliseconds) so that the weapon is cleared of remaining ammunition before stopping. When the ammunition boost button 36 is depressed, an ammunition booster motor 39 (see FIGS. 3 and 4A) on the ammunition magazine (not shown) is activated to facilitate the loading of the weapon. The ammunition booster motor 39 pushes the ammunition belt from the ammunition magazine (not shown), through a feed chute and to the weapon, where it is inserted in the delinking feeder 16, readying the weapon for firing.

Still referring to FIGS. 2 and 5-8, the spade grip 230 has rubberized grips 40 with compound hand swells and proportioned finger grooves to position the hands naturally. The grips 40 are over-molded with a durable, recoil-absorbing rubber that is impervious to oils and solvents and which has a texture, such as a cobblestone texture, for providing an efficient non-slip, non-irritating stippling pattern. The spade grip 230 includes a bottom plate 42 with a lanyard bar 43, which provides convenient access to tie-off points. A top plate 44 can include mission planning grid and sight alignment features.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate electrical connections of an exemplary embodiment of the improved gun control unit according to the present invention, including the connections between the gun control unit 220 and the minigun 10. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the gun control unit 220 includes a logic control unit or module 52 (“LCM”), a motor control unit or module 54 (“MCM”) and a multi-function display 56 (“MFD”). The logic control module 52 includes a micro-controller that is programmed to generate the control signals and provide the functionality described below. The logic control module 42 is coupled to the gun control unit switches 30, 32, 34, 38 to receive user inputs and is coupled to the minigun 10 via a serial communication interface 50 to communicate with the minigun 10. The serial communication interface 50 can be connected to the minigun 10 via a serial cable connector 51 on the logic control module. In this configuration, the logic control module 42 can communicate with the minigun 10 via the serial communication interface 50 and can receive information for round counting, trouble shooting and selection of a particular minigun model or configuration, as described below. The serial communications interface 50 also can be used to upload software to the logic control module 52. The logic control module 52 is coupled to the motor control module 54 to provide control signals to the motor control module 54 to control the gun electric drive motor 14 and clutch 18. In addition, the logic control module 52 is coupled to the multi-function display 56 to provide the signals for displaying information to the user about the operation and status of the minigun 10 as described below.

The motor control module 54 utilizes pulse width modulation driven FET technology for controlling the clutch 18 and the gun electric drive motor 14 and for stall protection, as is known in the art. Hardware and software safety interlocks (“HSSI”) can be incorporated into the logic control module 52 to ensure the micro-controller software is running properly before turning on any fire control outputs. In one exemplary embodiment, the hardware interlock is provided in the form of an access key that connects to the serial cable connector 51. When the fire control outputs are enabled, the logic control module 52 will fire the weapon when the arming switch 30 and the trigger buttons 32 are activated. When the arming switch 30 is selected, the minigun enters an unsafe mode, at which time the weapon will fire when one or both of the trigger buttons 32 are depressed. When the trigger buttons 32 are released, the gun control unit 220 will immediately turn off the power to the clutch 18 and wait for a suitable period of time (e.g., for 500 milliseconds) before turning off the power to the gun electric drive motor 14, allowing the gun to clear the rounds in the delinking feeder 16.

The multi-function display 56 displays to the user information about the status and operation of the minigun 10, including an ammunition level indication. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the multi-function display 56 includes an LED bar graph display, with each LED representing a specific quantity of ammunition (e.g., 150 rounds). With the 28 VDC power connected to the gun control unit 220, a user can press the ammunition switch 34 to display the available ammunition level on the LED multi-function display 56 of the gun control unit 220.

The logic control module 52 can calculate the ammunition level using the ammunition capacity information for the minigun 10 (which can be entered by the user as described below) and rounds count information received from a rounds counter (not shown) in the minigun 10. The LED bar graph display of the multi-function display 56 can then display this ammunition level to a user, similar to the way an automobile fuel indicator shows the remaining fuel level to a driver. For gun maintenance purposes, the logic control module 52 also can be programmed to cause the multi-function display 56 to display cumulative round count information for the minigun 10.

The gun control unit 220 also can be configured by a user to operate with different minigun models or configurations by using the gun control unit user input switches. For example, the gun control unit can be configured for different minigun models that have different firing rates (e.g., 3000 rounds per minute or 4000 rounds per minute). As another example, the gun control unit switches can be used to configure the gun control unit 220 for different maximum ammunition capacities, which tells the gun control unit 220 the maximum number of rounds that can be carried in the ammunition can of the minigun 10. In one exemplary embodiment, by using the ammunition switch 34 and the ammunition can select switch 38, a user is able to select from maximum ammunition capacities of 1500, 3000 or 4500.

In some embodiments, the gun control unit 220 can be configured to monitor for system errors and display those errors to a user via the multi-function display 56. For example, the gun control unit 220 can monitor the minigun system voltage and current data and the logic control module 52 can be programmed to send signals to the multi-function display 56 to display corresponding error codes when the logic control module 52 receives an over-current or low current reading from the minigun 10 indicating that the gun motor is running at too low or too high a speed. As another example, the logic control module 52 can monitor switches to detect malfunctions and display corresponding error codes on the multi-function display 56. By displaying error codes in this way, the gun control unit 220 can provide enough information for a user to determine if a particular error can be repaired in the field or if more in-depth repair or maintenance is required.

The logic control module 52 also can be programmed to perform various diagnostics tests on the minigun 10. In some embodiments, a user also can use different settings of the gun control unit user input switches (e.g., switches 34, 36, 38) to run various diagnostic tests on the minigun 10.

The serial communications interface 50 also can be used by the gun control unit 220 to communicate with external weapons control systems, e.g., with external systems or switches used to enable the minigun system.

Upon reading this disclosure, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications may be made to the preferred embodiments and methods of the invention and that such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative devices, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An improved gun control unit for a minigun system, the gun control unit comprising: a logic control module in communication with the minigun system; and a multi-function display configured to provide a visible display to a user of the minigun system; wherein the logic control module includes a processor coupled to the multi-function display and programmed to provide a display signal to the multi-function display in response to status information received from the minigun system.
 2. The gun control unit of claim 1 wherein the multi-function display comprises an LED display.
 3. The gun control unit of claim 1 wherein the multi-function display comprises a bar graph display.
 4. The gun control unit of claim 1 wherein the status information includes information for determining a count of rounds fired by the minigun system.
 5. The gun control unit of claim 4 wherein the information for determining a count of rounds fired by the minigun system includes information for determining a cumulative count of rounds.
 6. The gun control unit of claim 1 wherein the status information includes information for determining a remaining level of ammunition.
 7. The gun control unit of claim 1 wherein the logic control module is configured to calculate a remaining ammunition level using information associated with an ammunition maximum capacity and a count of rounds fired by the minigun system.
 8. The gun control unit of claim 1 wherein the status information includes information for trouble shooting the minigun system.
 9. The gun control unit of claim 1 wherein, in response to a user input switch selection, the logic control module is configured to operate with a specific minigun model or configuration.
 10. The gun control unit of claim 9 wherein the user input switch selection selects a maximum ammunition capacity.
 11. The gun control unit of claim 9 wherein the user input switch selection selects a firing rate.
 12. The gun control unit of claim 1 further comprising an interface configured to allow uploading of software to the logic control module.
 13. The gun control unit of claim 1 wherein the logic control module is programmed to monitor the status information to detect an error or malfunction in the operation of the minigun system.
 14. The gun control unit of claim 1 wherein the logic control module is programmed to perform a diagnostic test on the minigun system in response to a user input switch selection for diagnostic testing. 